Parents say

Kids say

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.

Get it now on

Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.

X of Y

X of Y

X of Y

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Positive Messages

Requires logic, critical thinking to solve puzzles.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Between use of foul language, seeming lack of concern as they walk into undeniable impending doom, the Critters make lousy role models.

Ease of Play

Tutorial levels introduce basic controls. Use of trajectory, angles to solve puzzles can be difficult. Difficulty increases as levels progress.

Violence

Cute Critters die violently in variety of lethal ways, like being impaled, sliced into blood-spurting chunks, various achievements rewarding players for killing Critters using murderous methods.

Sex

When hovering over “play” link in main menu, comment “Play with yourself (In a socially acceptable manner)” pops up.

Language

Critters are foul-mouthed creatures, using words like “S--thead” under their breath. But there's an option to turn off adult language.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Cute Things Dying Violently is an addictive downloadable physics-based puzzle platformer with a significant amount of cartoon violence. The Critters are rather foul-mouthed, but the game allows the option to turn off any adult language. While the point of the game is to save at least one Critter per level, there are multiple achievements in the game that requires killing them. Contrary to what the title of the game suggests, the violence isn’t overly gruesome; Critters can be impaled, cut into bloody chunks, or succumb to other bloody injuries. While the humorous cartoonish cutesy feel of the game downplays the gore, it’s still not a game you’ll want to let small kids play.

User Reviews

What's it about?

In CUTE THINGS DYING VIOLENTLY, players must fling adorable Critters over, under, and around dangerous obstacles like buzz saws and spikes into an elevator to complete each level. Only one Critter needs to survive in order to finish, and most levels require the sacrifice of one or two Critters for the greater good of the others. There are 60 perilous single player levels, including epic boss battles with the Hate Bot, as well as six gory challenge levels. There’s also a built-in level editor for players who want to create their own blood bath filled levels, which they can later share through the Steam Workshop community.

Is it any good?

Picture if you will, the cutest little fuzzy creature you can possibly imagine, looking into its big, shiny, adorable eyes, and then flinging it into a spinning buzzsaw. That's the premise behind the twisted, sadistic, and yet strangely addictive Cute Things Dying Violently. Technically, the goal of each level is to toss the Critters around so that at least one of them avoids the various deathtraps scattered around each stage, but ultimately there's really no way to avoid the carnage. And there's no shortage of carnage. While the cute factor of the game might at first glance look like a good fit for the kids, it's actually the stuff of nightmares. Cute, cuddly, bloody nightmares.

The controls are simple enough to master, but can be frustrating when the difficulty of the puzzles ramps up. But the challenge mostly adds to the fun of the game. You pick up one of the surprisingly foul-mouthed furballs, move the slingshot mechanism around, then adjust your aim and fire the hapless victim skyward, crossing your fingers and hoping it survives to the safety of an escape elevator positioned somewhere else on the stage. Over time, the stages get more difficult and frustrating, requiring almost inhuman precision. It's enough to turn off all but the most determined (or masochistic) players late in the game. Of course, players with a darker sense of humor will likely spend their time shooting the creatures directly into the arms of death, just to watch the insanely graphic ways these cartoon critters meet their untimely end. If the thought of impaling adorable creatures appeals to you, you'll enjoy this game.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about violence in games like Cute Things Dying Violently. Is it okay to have lots of violence if it's portrayed in a cartoonish way? Would the gameplay be better if it wasn't included?

What is the definition of “dark humor”? Do you find dark humor amusing?

Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.

Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Help center

Follow Common Sense Media

Common Sense, Common Sense Media, Common Sense Education, and Common Sense Kids Action, associated names, associated trademarks, and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN 41-2024986).